Sherman County, Kansas

Sherman County was organized on September 20, 1886, by J. H. Tate; L. J. Gandy; O. D. Dickey; R. R. Edwards; John Bray; Barney McCluskey; J. F. Collier; A. P. Melstrom; W. T. Clayton; James Forbes; Wilson Turner; and W. W. Scott. It includes the cities of Goodland and Kanorado, and was named for General William T. Sherman.

On July 1, 1867, Lieutenant Lyman Kidder of the 7th United States Cavalry was on route from Fort Sedgwick, Colorado, to deliver messages to General George A. Custer who was on campaign. Near Beaver Creek Kidder and ten men were killed. Custer found their remains on about July 11. A county seat war between Goodland and Eustis resulted in an armed mob marching into Goodland from Eustis on January 13, 1888, and seizing the county records. Goodland supporters retaliated, capturing the records and returning them to Goodland. Goodland subsequently became the county seat.

The Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railroad, later part of the Rock Island, arrived in the county on July 3, 1888. The Bethel Church was organized in 1886 with services being held in a sod structure. The first fair, which was not officially a county affair, was held in September 1886. The first county fair was held north of Goodland in 1888. The first school district was formed in Gandy in 1885.

Sherman is home to two interesting Kansas, Julius H. Stewart was a Civil War veteran and minister who traveled on an established circuit from Cheyenne County to Sherman County to deliver religious services. In 1887 he was appointed the Methodist minister in the county. He later became editor of one of the county's newspapers. Also Charles Speaks served in Congress from the county from 1929 to 1933.

Sherman contains the sites of the T. P. Leonard Building in Goodland, the Centennial Building in Goodland and the Goodland Town Company Building.

For more information see the Sherman County website. The Sherman County newspapers are on film at the Goodland Public Library. The Sherman County Historical Society has some sources and a three-volume history Sherman County and Family History available.

Entry: Sherman County, Kansas

Author: Kansas Historical Society

Author information:
The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding
and sharing the state's history.

Date Created: February 2010

Date Modified: June 2012

The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.

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